Safety systems are known which are intended to protect a person sitting in a motor vehicle in case of a sudden deceleration of the travel movement, which for example occur in case of a vehicle impact against a fixed object, when the person sitting in the vehicle is flung contrary to the deceleration movement against a structure located in the vehicle, for example the instrument panel, the front seat, the side wall etc. Without the safety restraint systems, this often leads to serious injuries of the vehicle occupant(s), particularly when no adequate protection is present in particular for the head and the thorax of the vehicle occupants.
Known safety restraint systems include safety belts and airbag devices. An airbag device, as is known, comprises an inflatable airbag, which is accommodated for example, in the steering wheel hub cover, in the instrument panel and/or in the side wall interior panels of the motor vehicle. In case of collision of the vehicle against a fixed resistance, an acceleration sensor activates a gas generator, which is ignited within an extremely short time and inflates the airbag with filling gas. During deployment, the cover or the trim panel tears open at a defined point and clears the path for the airbag which is filling with gas. The vehicle occupant then sinks into the airbag, which considerably decreases the load which occurs during the sudden deceleration of the vehicle movement.
Side impact airbags are used more and more frequently in modern motor vehicles. In case of an impact of the motor vehicle, the airbag is suddenly filled with gas, if for example sudden lateral acceleration occurs.
One example of an airbag device for a motor vehicle is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,388, in which an airbag is located in a side door at the side of a vehicle occupant, whereby the airbag is inflated by a gas generator if a side collision is detected, so that the inflated airbag takes up a space between the side door of the vehicle and the vehicle occupants.
Furthermore, in DE 42 23 620 A1, a side airbag device for a motor vehicle is described in which a gas-generating material is accommodated in an inflating device for the airbag, which is ignited if a sensor detects an impact, whereby a large volume of gas is released and streams into a gas outlet conduit. As, in general, the gas generator is outside the airbag, a gas outlet conduit, a gas lance or a feed tube is necessary, in order to convey the gas into the airbag. The upper side of the gas outlet conduit of this known side airbag device is provided with a large number of nozzles from which the gas streams into the airbag, in order to inflate it.
Furthermore, the airbag, especially according to DE 42 23 620 A1 and in general, consists of two fabric layers, whose circumferential edges are connected with each other, for example by sewing and/or bonding. The gas which exits from a large number of nozzles in the gas outlet conduit therefore enters the volume of the airbag which is formed of both fabric layers and which inflates in the form of a cushion, both suddenly and completely.